


Runaway Is My Middle Name

by Pineprin137



Category: Original Work
Genre: Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-03-07 03:36:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13425948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pineprin137/pseuds/Pineprin137
Summary: Kelly Ann Elizabeth. Hired gun by day, loving sister by night.





	1. Chapter 1

Damnit. That is my first thought.  
But what else should I expect? It’s a fitting end to my shitty day. 

I can hear my mother in my head telling me not to use such language, but I choose to slam the door to that section of my brain and try to focus on what the hell my next step should be. I have two options: I can either burn some serious rubber and get the hell out of dodge or I can be a good little girl and give my information and fill out a friggin police report. Tough choice. I think maybe it’s time to call it a day. The minivan driver in the rear-view mirror looks rather aghast at my sudden departure, but honestly, at this moment, I could give a flying fuck. 

A list starts to compile in my head. Things to do before I fly the coop…again. Charlie won’t be thrilled, but he’s just going to have to deal. A girl can only take so much before she loses her shit. He should be used to it by now anyway; he’s only lived with a disappointment of a sister for his entire life. It’s not like I’ve suddenly turned to the dark side. I’ve been residing in the shadows for quite some time. I hit the gas to make it through a yellow light and try to come up with some semblance of a plan for my spontaneous runaway. Where else can I go? What the hell am I going to do when I get there? Who’s going to bail me out when I inevitably screw up again? I always call Charlie… or Mack, but he’s not exactly in the picture right now. Who’s going to enable my bouts of alcoholism? Shit, I really am screwed this time.  
When I arrive at the house, I see the lights on and dread the encounter. Of course, he will want to know what the hell happened to me. It’s hard to overlook the blood stains or the odor of burning flesh. Maybe he’s already in bed? Maybe I won’t have to skulk past him in the foyer while feeling the burn of his disappointment on the back of my neck. I’m not looking forward to the lecture and I’m really not in the mood, but I decide to just get it over with. Then I can shove my crap in my bag and leave, maybe for good this time. 

I open the door expecting to see him on the other side ready to lay down the law, but he’s not. He’s sitting against the wall. What the hell?  
“Charlie look, I know that I broke the rules and left, but I had a good reason.” He doesn’t even glance my way; only gives me a half-hearted grunt. Something feels off and I’m starting to worry. This isn’t like him at all. My little brother is the sturdy rock of the family. Between the two of us, I’m the wild, off-kilter one and he’s a picture of stable sanity. He uses logic rather than impulsivity to make his decisions. Charlie has always been the one I lean on, especially when I’ve hit rock bottom. He keeps a level head in a crisis. I need him to keep a level head now, not space out against the living room wall.  
“What did you do now, Kel?” I jump at the sound of his voice. At least now I know he’s not comatose. The absence of anger or irritation bothers me though. He finally looks my way, one eyebrow raised, waiting for my answer.  
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll be out of your hair for good after tonight.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. I guess I do have a plan. It sucks, but it’s a plan...sort of. He would probably be better off without me anyway. He and his girlfriend could live a happy life without my darkness, my curse hanging over their heads.  
“You can’t leave. Not now.” What the hell is he talking about? He sounds panicked? He usually holds the door open when I leave glad to have a break from my current problem, but now he wants me and my phenomenal baggage to stay?  
“Sorry?” I’m intrigued, but kind of under a time crunch. They’ll be here soon.  
“I said you can’t leave.”  
“Yup, got that. Why can’t I leave? Am I under fucking house-arrest or some shit? Do you really think it’s a good idea for me to stay? Why do you…” I trail off mid-ramble as I see the look in his eyes. Something is seriously wrong with my brother. What isn’t he telling m  
“Charlie…what the hell is wrong with you? What’s going on? Where’s Gina?”  
“They took her.” He ducks his head.  
“Who took her? What are you talking about?” I’m trying to ignore the churning in my gut and the fear creeping up my throat. It can’t be. What the hell would they want with her?  
“They took her, Kelly.” Now he looks straight at me. He holds my gaze when I want to look away. I don’t want to see the desperate plea in those brown eyes. He hasn’t asked, but I know what he wants.  
“You didn’t think to mention that until now? You couldn’t have started with that?” I focus on the hurt instead of the terror crawling along my skin. Why didn’t he tell me? I mean I know I’m not Gina’s favorite or anything, but I don’t want her dead. I would never wish that on my brother. Although with her in their hands, she would be lucky to just get death. I still have the scars that demonstrate their “mercy”. I prayed for my own death by the end. And when Mack finally came to rescue me? It was all I could do not to slit my wrists on his bathroom floor. I shiver at the memory.  
“What are you going to do?” I can’t let them find me. Not again. I have two options: stay and help find GiGi or walk out that door and leave him on his own… Dammit. “How long has she been gone?”  
“You’re going to stay? You’re going to help me find her?” Wow, that hurt. He honestly thought I was going to leave him to fend for himself with those bastards following his trail? Geez, I have to work on my big sister image.  
“Yes. I mean, I don’t have anywhere better to be” except a beach on a deserted island “and I know how they work better than anyone. We’re going to need help though...Shit. We need Mack.” I can’t call him! I barely managed to sashay out of his apartment with all of my dignity intact two months ago. He gave me an ultimatum and I made my decision. Period. The End. I most definitely did not miss him. Or dream about him. Or think about him when I passed by that pub on 35th… 

“Will he even answer your call?”  
“I guess we’re about to find out, smartass.” I was dreading it. What if he didn’t pick up? How was I going to track them down and rescue Ginny? Oh god. What if he does answer? What the hell am I going to say? I can’t beg. That would seriously put a damper on the whole badass independent off-again lover vibe. “Grab a bag. Only the necessities. We can buy new shit later. We need to go. Now. I’m kind of expecting company.”  
“Why is it there is always someone following you? Who is it this time? Wait, is that blood? Did you kill someone! What. Did. You. Do.” He was glaring at me now that he noticed the gore decorating my light purple tee with a giant winking smiley face. Luckily you can’t see anything on my black jean shorts, but the blood spatter on my thighs gave it away. My navy blue Doc Martens had escaped mostly unharmed except for a few scuffs. I peeked into the mirror on the wall but didn’t see any ick in my hair. Thank god for scrunchies.  
“I didn’t kill anyone.” He cocked an eyebrow at me in disbelief.  
“You’re lack of faith in me hurts, Charlie. I didn’t kill anyone. Promise.” I paused for a moment while I planned the rest of my explanation. How can I phrase this so he doesn’t get too pissed? I mean I’m going to be spending a lot of time in the car with him very shortly. “I may have...harmed...okay, maimed someone, but they were still breathing when I left.” It isn’t a lie. The guy was gurgling his last breaths when I picked my way across his tiny office. What happened to him after that? Not my problem.  
“How are we even related? Could you just try not to murder, maim, dismember, or otherwise seriously harm anyone while we search for Gina? Please?” He was looking at me with such desperation that I nodded. I guess I’m going to have to be more socially acceptable with my side jobs to avoid going broke while his hawk eyes are on my every move. Great. I don't do well in conventional jobs. Something about my bad attitude and a tendency to scare off customers with my unapproachable persona. Mack always said I had intriguing darkness surrounding me, but that I was really just a frightened pussy...cat. I think I prefer his description.

“Get your shit. I’ll be in the car.” I left him to gather his few belongings and headed back outside. I popped the trunk and rummaged around in my backpack before stripping off my tee and pulling on a white ribbed racerback tank. It was going to have to do for now. I needed to do laundry desperately. Winky was my last clean tee before the office douchebag had rudely spit blood onto it in his death throes. I climbed into the driver’s seat and cranked the stereo up. T-Swift was singing about her damn broken heart again. Jesus. At least my love life is complicated, not pathetic.  
“Did you call him yet?” Charlie asked as he crawled in. He tossed his bags (bags plural? oh come on, I said just the absolute basics) in the back and turned down the radio. I avoided his gaze. Sigh. How the hell do I get myself in these situations? I used to be a totally normal girl. Okay, mostly normal. I had normal moments! I’m sure I did between smuggling juice boxes to sell to gullible classmates in kindergarten and getting kicked out of four high schools for “violent tendencies” and “severe problems with authority” ...what was I talking about? Oh right, I was a totally normal kid. I rebelled against my parents, snuck out late, bullied my little brother, had a BFF. Things just changed. Life hit me in the face rather surprisingly and I had to learn to adjust. Instead of just living, I had to survive. I met real evil. And I kicked it’s goddamn ass. Well, Mack did. But I kind of helped. 

“I’ll call him when we make it to a pit stop. For now, you’re going to sit there silently and I’m going to sulk about what a shitty day this turned out to be. No comments. None. I will push you out of this car. Don’t think I won’t.” With that, I adjusted my mirrors and pulled onto the main road. I was on edge until we made it past the police station. I finally started to relax when we hit the old highway. A semi-fugitive, the open road, and a (quick glance at the dash) half-full tank of gas, what could possibly go wrong?


	2. Chapter 2

“Charlie, do you want to die today?” I lean down to glare at him while watching the pump with one eye. 10 dollars. It could not go over 10 dollars.  
“No. Why on earth would I want to die? On a dusty road in the middle of nowhere with my sister in her stupid yellow car?! There are better, more dignified ways.”  
“Then shut.up. Got it? Your incessant talking is about to drive me to murder! And that is saying something considering I sat through your graduation speech umpteen times until you had it just right.” I narrow my eyes to show him I meant business and curse as I click it off too late. $10.37. Shit. “Find change. We need 37 cents. Now.”  
“What? I don’t carry change. Why didn’t you watch it closer? You were supposed to keep an eye on the total so it didn’t go over!” I close my eyes and take a breath. If I choke my brother to death with a gasoline line the FBI would get involved and they would never stop. Plus, sibling murder? Not really my thing. I exhale and head into the shop. Pausing at the door I adjust my cleavage and pull my scrunchie out. I guess I am just going to have to do things the old-fashioned way.  


The scrawny guy at the register grunts a greeting and glances up. Once he sees me, he sits up a little straighter and combs his long hair behind his ears.  
“Hey there baby, what can I do for you?” He leers at me and I push my disgust down. Instead, I give my best flirty smile, tuck a strand of hair behind my own ear and look up through my lashes.  
“Well, I made a mistake. I’m not very good with all the numbers. It seems I’m a little short on how much I owe. Is there any way you could help me?” I add a pout and lean against the counter pushing my breasts to the edge of my scoop neckline. Any further and I will pop out. He needs to fold, I am getting rather annoyed. I have places to be, exes to find, brothers mouths to duct tape.  
“I’m sure we can come to some sort of arrangement. How 'bout you walk around here so I can see exactly what we’re working with.” I give a small giggle and swing my hips. I even do a little twirl when I stand in front of him. I bite my lip and place my hand on his arm.  
“Oh yeah, I think I can help you out. But first, why don’t you help me? Hmm? How 'bout you get down on your knees baby?” Great. Just great. I have an impatient brother in the car, an ex to call, several hundred more miles to drive and this asshat needs help to get off. Kissing? Maybe. Sex? Sure. A blow job? I glance down and see about twenty used butts lying extinguished in a soda spill. Fuck no. Guess we were going to have to do things the hard way.  
“You know, I don’t think that it should be up to every vulnerable pretty girl who walks in here to pump your ego while you deal with your sexual impotence. So, I think I’m gonna pass.”  
“What? Who do think you are, bitch!” Of course, he wasn’t going to make this easy. Fine. I can look to the bright side; he’s a conveniently placed outlet for my own frustration and mild bloodlust. He doesn’t even see the kick to his stomach coming. I grip his shaggy hair and haul him up against the counter. I put enough pressure against him so that he can feel a little pain between his bony legs. I push his cheek to the counter and lean down to whisper in his ear.  
“I’ve been around people like you. I’ve killed men like you. I could do things to you that you can’t even imagine. Or you could just ignore the discrepancy and let me go. Let me drive away and hopefully never see me again. You choose.”  
“You...you can go. Go. Please?” His voice is shaking. Gah. How pathetic. I roll my eyes and release him after slamming his head one more time. Just to make sure he gets the message. I snag a few bags of chips and push the door open with my hip.  


“Geez! It’s about time! Gina is who-knows-where and you’re busy flirting with some loser in a gas station!” I ignore him and pull my cell from the cup holder. I type in Mack’s number and hit dial.  
“Hello.” I freeze. I haven’t heard his voice in so long. I am supposed to be speaking but all I can do is picture the man I had dreamt about over and over since I walked out of his loft, out of his life.  
“Hello? Anybody there? Is this some stupid prank? I swear to the Almighty if you keep doing this I am going to find you, you little bastard! Twice a day for nine days is too damn fucking long you little shit! Knock it off!” I can’t help but smile. Mack is probably the only person I knew who had a dirtier vocabulary than yours truly. My mother would have been revolted by Mack.  
“Mack. It’s...it’s me. Gina was...and now Charlie and I are….there’s so much I...Mack. I need you...your help. I need your help. Please.” I hold my breath, waiting for ...something. Maybe anger? Or sadness?  
“Kelly?”  
“Yeah…” I feel him pause. He’s trying to keep it together. Good. He deserves it after giving me a childish ultimatum. He was the one who pushed me away. Yes. I walked out, but I wouldn’t have needed to if he didn’t force me to choose.  
“You're with Charlie? Where are you?” I imagine him shaking his head trying to clear his mind and focus. He was going to help us. I knew he would. A part of me hoped he would yell and hang up. Then I wouldn't have to face him. I wouldn’t have to look into his deep blue eyes and try not to fall under his spell. Again.  
“We’re two hours out.”  
“Okay.” With that, I hear a click. Guess that was that. We are going to head to Mack’s, fill him in, eat, make a plan. I can do this. It was my choice. I chose to live my life instead of run off into the sunset with him. I know I made the right choice. I can’t let him save me all the time. I need to be okay on my own. And I am. For the most part. Yes, I have Charlie, but it isn’t the same. I need to focus, dammit. I can’t get distracted. I need to...kiss those lips again, run my hands through dark hair, wrap my legs around… No. Focus, Kelly!  


Charlie wisely stays quiet while I run around lost in my head. Swallowed by memories, I’m surprised I get us here in one piece. Yet when we pull up to the large white brick building that houses Mack’s cheap apartment we are fully intact. I lead the way up the concrete steps and remind Charlie not to touch the railing once we make it inside. Although he throws a disgusted look my way, he remains silent. We trudge up three flights of stairs till we arrive at number 7.  
“Kelly? Uh, aren’t you going to knock?” I have my hand raised in midair unable to make contact with the flimsy wood in front of me. I slammed it when I left. I still remember all the broken ceramic tiles and the toppled furniture. I can still hear him yelling my name, begging me to stay.  
A gentle hand on my shoulder shakes me from my reverie. Glancing at the hand I see his father’s gold signet ring. Turning, I keep my eyes lowered toward his boots. Same stupid boots. Same stupid black jeans. Same plain t-shirt. He was wearing black when I saw him last, but now he is hugged by a soft baby blue. I’m sure it complements his eyes, but I’m not there yet. I drag my gaze up to his neck and the chain that disappears beneath the neckline of his tee. I know there is a cross at the end. A delicate black cross with strange etchings on it. When I tilt my head up I close my eyes. I can’t find the strength to meet the questions in his eyes. Instead, I envision his jaw, feel his facial hair against my palm. I wonder if he has diamonds or silver studs in today. Probably silver. Contacts or glasses? It is a Saturday, so probably his lazy day glasses. The ones with the skinny gunmetal frames.  
“You’re going to have to open your eyes eventually. Or give me your hand so I can lead you inside. It’s up to you.”  
“I know.”  
“You chose to leave, Kelly.”  
“I know.” I turn away from him before I open my eyes. Then I slide past him while he stares in disbelief. My brother watches me with a confused look, but I ignore him and make my way into the tiny apartment.  


“Can I get you something? Some fucking manners maybe?” The last part is obviously directed at me. I hear Charlie choke down a laugh while Mack grabs some tumblers from the dish rack.  
“Isn’t it a little early for whiskey?” Charlie never met Mack. He is unaware of how little Mack goes shopping for homewares. He doesn’t see the point in buying four different sets of glasses when you can just use a tumbler for whichever beverage you choose.  
“I don’t have any fucking whiskey. Water okay with you, Jack Daniels?” I admire how well he is keeping it together. Way more restraint than I usually exhibit. But he is losing his patience. There is a strain in his voice that suggests I step in. Now.  
“Charlie needs your help in finding his girlfriend Gloria.”  
“Gina. Her name is Gina!” I arch my brow at him. This is not the time to worry about semantics. Doesn’t he realize we are in the presence of an atomic bomb that could go off at any moment.  
“Gina. Whatever. She was taken yesterday and we...he needs your help getting her back.” I can tell he noticed my slip, but he doesn’t comment.  
“Why me?” He has a point. I mean it makes more sense to ask the cops or a PI. I have to tell him. This is either going to go over smoothly or very very badly.  
“They took her.” I meet his eyes when I say it so he will know I am serious. I see his body tense and his eyes narrow. Uh oh. Very very badly it is.  
“Excuse me?” Charlie no longer exists in the room. It’s Mack and me. My gaze locks on his. “No. You can’t walk back into my life and ask me to go back there. You can’t come into my home and expect me to be your fucking knight in shining armor. You told me you didn’t need saving. Actually, I clearly remember you stating that you would never ask for my help again right before my mother’s fucking vase shattered next to my goddamn head!” He paces back and forth in the tiny kitchen. His hand gripping the tumbler splashing water all over as he gestures wildly. Charlie had retreated to the love seat and I am caught between calming down the man I love or standing my ground and defending my decision.  
“Mack, this isn’t about me. This is about him. He needs your help. We wouldn’t be here except I can’t do this alone. We can’t storm the castle without a plan and you are the only person I know who can get in and out of Hell.” I keep my eyes on him while I speak. Pleading with my eyes. I need him, yes. But I can’t say it. If I say it, the whole foundation of my break up argument falls apart.  


I know the stubborn set of his jaw. He doesn’t want to say yes. He wants to let me fail on my own. I feel it the moment he gives in. I have him.  
“Yes, I went there. I...retrieved...you. But I barely made it out of there with all my fucking limbs attached. Not to mention the toll it took on my fucking head.” He looks directly at me. “It tore me apart. I still wake up in the middle of the night tangled in bedsheets covered in sweat convinced that I didn’t make it. That those corpses I saw hanging in the corridor were you. Covered in blood, guts spilling out, terror frozen on their goddamn faces. I see them. Every time I close my eyes.” He takes a breath and sets his hands against the Formica countertop. I see the pain etched on his face reflected in his eyes. I had no idea it had affected him so deeply. Sure, I have nightmares of those endless nights alone with the Artist waiting to die. Wishing he would simply slit my throat and leave me to bleed out. But to know that Mack has them? And I walked out on him.  
“I saw all the things they did, Kelly. I saw all of it. Their victims strewn along the ceiling like some sort of macabre decor. If I didn’t make it, if his fucking information or map was wrong…” I can’t take it any longer. I surrender. I walk over to him and drape myself over his hunched form. My hands wrap around his arms, my lips press against his neck.  
“Mack, baby, you got me. You got there in time. You saved me. I’m okay.” I feel him struggle to control his breath. I use one hand to stroke through his hair. The other I wrap around his chest. To hell with not needing him. He needs me.  
“You didn’t see them, Kel. You didn’t see the looks on their faces. And then I found you beaten, bloody, dislocated shoulder, infected knife wounds. You flinched when I tried to touch you. You were destroyed, Kelly. Broken.” I remember. How can I forget. I try, I do. But it is impossible. I still have trouble taking a deep breath. I still can’t stand the sight of rare meat. I keep a light on at all times and have handy weapons hidden all over the house. The sneer on his face when I coughed up blood and collapsed into a filthy pile to cry empty tears still haunt my dreams when I am able to sleep.  
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t see them, but I know what they're capable of. I know what they will do. That’s why we have to go back. We have to find Georgia, I mean, Gina. I cannot stand here while I know that she’s there. It’s only been a day, but he works fast. He will have drugged her and started the electroshock torture. He doesn’t waste time, Mack. We have to get her back. If not for Charlie, because she is a human being and no one deserves to be so utterly broken and shattered. You don’t come back from that, Mack.”  
“Alright, Kelly. We’ll go back. We will save Gina. On one condition.” I lift my head slightly so he knows I’m listening. “This time, before we leave, we burn that fucking place to ashes.”


	3. Chapter 3

We decide to spend the night at Mack’s and plan our attack. I keep looking between the two men in my life and try to remind myself that they can handle this. Well, I know that one of them can. Mack had helped piece me back together after he found me. He held me when I woke up screaming and removed everything in the fridge that even resembled raw flesh when it made me gag. He soothed me when I became paranoid and he stood silent when I needed to yell. It’s unsettling to sit at his tiny green table with mismatched blue chairs on three sides. The missing chair had always driven me nuts, but Mack says there is no point if it’s never going to be used. We spent so many mornings arguing over who got the last bowl of cereal, I always won. When he was in school he would spread out all his assignments I would pout in the chair across from him and try to distract him.  


_“You’ve been working on that all night. Don’t you think you’ve earned a break?” I bite my lip as I slide one strap down my shoulder. Mack glances up from the laptop and grins. I spread my legs and let one hand trail down my bare stomach. The laptop is pushed to the side as he grabs my chair and jerks me toward him. I watch him swallow as I reach behind my back and unhook my bra. I smirk at him when it falls to the floor, daring him to make a move. I laugh when my ass lands on the table and he nibbles at my neck. I moan when he bites down gently on my shoulder and pulls my legs around his waist. Our lips connect as he lifts me and then lays me down on top of scattered papers._  
_My hands tangle in his hair when he kisses a trail down my neck to my breasts. He pauses in his descent to suck one nipple into his mouth while he kneads my other breast in one large palm. He makes sure each bud is plenty wet before he drags his tongue across my stomach and dips into my belly button. He plays with the ring there for a moment and then finally arrives at the vee between my legs. He mouths at me through my cotton panties, nipping and licking until I beg for him. I hear his hands against his buckle and zipper while he pushes my underwear to the side and slips his tongue into me._  
_“Mack...please, I need you.” I catch his eyes looking up at me and see him smirk. He loves it when I beg. My body is hot with lust, but I shiver when the hand that isn’t holding me open slides up to cup one of my breasts. I’m panting as he fucks me with his tongue, but I want more._  
_“Mack…” His lips slide against my skin as he travels back up to my mouth. I respond with greedy kisses and pull him flush against me until I feel his cock against my belly. His jeans are undone but still sit at his hips. I need him naked, bared before me. I wiggle against him until he groans then shove his boxers down along with his jeans. He’s already leaking precome and I can’t wait any longer. He pushes into me just as our lips meet again._  
_“God, fuck, Kel.” Mack is never capable of much speech when we fuck and that’s fine by me. I don’t need him to speak when his hips slam into me knocking papers and a glass of whiskey to the floor. I clench around him and feel his hand rub against my clit. He knows just which buttons to push. I lick the sweat from his neck as we claw at each other in the artificial glow of the kitchen._  
_My mouth falls open and eyes roll back when my orgasm rushes over me. I feel his pace quicken and hear the scrape of the table against the wall. He jerks against me and then his body envelopes me as he comes down. His cock twitches inside of me while I stroke his wet hair and kiss his temple. He mumbles something into my chest and I manage a quiet laugh._  
_“No, love, I don’t think they will accept a dissertation covered in cum.”_  


Charlie and Mack are staring at me. I realize my breath is rapid and my palms are sweating where my hands are gripping my shorts. “I’m going to...bathroom.” I almost trip on my way to the tiny washroom. I splash water on my face and grimace at the face in the mirror. Gritting my teeth, I cling to the sink on shaky legs and try to pull myself out of the memory. Stupid table. Stupid apartment. Stupid Mack. Stupid...me. God, why did I leave him? Why did I choose my fucking pride over happiness? I loved him then, and I still do now. My body yearns for him. I want Mack in my bed and in my life. Jesus. I need to pull myself together. I have to get back out there so we can finish the plan and save the girl. I need to focus on the upcoming horror show and not some kinky fuckfest from three years ago.  
I jump when I hear the knock on the door and assume its Mack. He saw the look in my eyes, he knew as soon as I fled the kitchen that I was thinking about him. I open the door not sure if I’m going to push him away or beg him to fuck me on the bathroom counter. But I see Charlie, not Mack on the other side of the door.  
“Charlie? Is everything okay?”  
“I came to check on you. You’ve been kind of on edge since we got here.” Aww, my baby brother was worried. That’s so sweet, but there is no way I am going to fess up to my fantasy to him. I do have boundaries. I push past him into the hallway and assure him that I’m fine. He doesn’t look like he believes me, but for now, that will have to do.  
In the kitchen, Mack is still sitting at the table and marking on the map. I assume it is the route we are going to follow to get into Hell. Hell. I still can’t really believe that I’m going to go back there willingly. Mack glances up with a question in his eyes, but after a minute shake of my head he looks to Charlie and starts speaking.  
“Okay, so the last time that I...visited..the castle, I had to crawl through this tunnel, here. It’s an old drainage tunnel that comes out in one of the old procedure rooms, over here. Once we get inside, we will have to avoid guards posted at every door and the motion detecting cameras hidden in each corner. It wasn’t easy last time, I almost got caught three times before I made it to the holding cells in the back.” He pauses and looks between me and my brother. I’m not too worried, as long as I have my gun and maybe a few knives shoved into my Docs, I’ll be fine. My brother? Well, Charlie looks like he’s moments away from crumbling at our feet.  
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Charlie? We’re going to get your girlfriend back.” He looks at me when I try to comfort him, but all I see is panic in his eyes. I look to Mack hoping he can offer some words of reassurance, but he simply looks back to the map and continues.  
“The main problem is the lack of protection. There are metal detectors on every window and surrounding each door frame so we won’t be able to carry any weapons on us.” He looks at me when he says this. Dammit. There goes my security blanket. Without my Beretta and knives, I’m going to feel naked. “The other thing you need to know is that the...carnage...isn’t contained to the rooms. You’ll see things that you can’t unsee. You will know the sound of your boots squishing into discarded organs along a hallway covered in blood.” At this fun fact, Charlie bolts for the bathroom and I glare at Mack.  


“Really? You couldn’t have kept it PG-13 for him?” Mack ignores my attempt at a joke and turns cold eyes to me. Jesus. I never want to be on the receiving end of that icy stare ever again.  
“He needs to be prepared, Kelly. He needs to know what to expect because if he can’t fucking handle it I will leave his ass here and he can wait for us to return. I’m not going to take him and rely on him if he blows chunks while hearing a description of the place. He needs to be sharp and focused to make it through there alive. Or have you forgotten about Dante?” Fuck. I’m getting whiplash from Mack’s flip between soft and vulnerable to hard and callous. Truthfully, I had forgotten about his partner on the rescue mission. A friend from childhood who hadn’t made it out that night. Mack had been torn up about it, felt guilty as hell, but he had to focus on my trauma, pain, and recovery. So he pushed it down and didn’t mention Dante hardly ever. Except when he wanted to hit below the belt. Like now.  
“I’m going to go check on my brother. So, why don’t you take a few minutes to pull your head out of your ass and we can continue going over the plan when I get back. Unless you want to back out. No one is expecting you to be a fucking hero.” I don’t give him a chance to respond, just turn my back on him and go to check on Charlie.


End file.
